Combination ladder and trestle.



A. HILL.

COMBINATION LADDER AND TRESTLE.

APPLICATION man Mme. 191s.

mmmmn Patented Dec. 5,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET1.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

WWO; ARTHUR HILL A TTOR E YS.

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COMBINATION LADDER-AND TRESTLE. APPLICATION FILED..MAR. 6. 1-915.

LQWfiW. Patented 10%. 5,1916.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2- IN V EN TOR.

ARTHUR H I LL ARTHUR, HILL, OF COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.

COMBINATION LADDER .aNn 'rnnsrnn.

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Application filed March 6, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at 424 South Conejos street, in the city of Colorado Springs, in the county of El Paso and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combination Ladders and Trestles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in a combination ladder and trestle consisting of two separate members adapted to be adjustably and removably interlocked and connected at their top end to form a step ladder or trestle and which members canbe connected as an extension ladder to lean up against a support; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a safe, strong and convenient step ladder; second, to provide a safe, strong and convenient extension ladder; third, to provide a safe, strong and adjustable set of trestles for the support of a running board or staging; fourth, to provide means for clamping the two members of the ladder compactly together for convenience in storing them away or for convenience in their transportation; fifth, to provide a metal connecting member for the purposes of securely and removably interlocking and connecting the step ladder and a prop member; sixth, to provide means for retaining the extension member of the lad der in a rigid interlocked contact with the main part of the ladder, when used as an extension ladder. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1.- is a side elevation of the top of the left side of the ladder when used as a step ladder. Fig. 2. is a side elevation of Fig. 1, with the left side of the ladder removed. Fig. 3.- is a side elevation of the two ladders used as trestles. Fig. 4.- is an inside elevation of the metallic connecting member A, used on the right-hand side of the top of the ladder, section G. Fig. 5. is a front elevation of the whole ladder extended and used as an extension ladder. Fig. 6.-' is a left-side elevation of Fig. 5. Fig. 7. is a left-side elevation of Fig. 6, with the two sections G, and H, of the ladder folded and locked together.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The step ladder -Inem'ber G, having at its t p the meta li sex-a erting members A, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1%16.

Serial No. 12,522.

C, and the prop section H, constitutes the frame work of the ladder and trestle. The metallic connecting members A, and C, are in pairs for the right and left stiles B, and D, respectively, of the main part of the step ladder G. The section H, of the ladder used as a prop for section G, is the same length as section G, and has the left stile E, and the right stile F, which are the same distance apart as the two stiles B, and D, of section G, and are parallel, so that the edges of the stiles on section H, will register with the edges of the stiles on section G, and will pass outside of the metallic locking-hooks 4,'and 5, and inside of the guide flanges 16, and 17, adapted to hold the member H, in an extended line with the member G, when'forming an extension ladder to prevent the slipping or careening of the two members on each other laterally. When the ladder is extended as shown in Fig. '6, and Fig. 5, the metallic lockinghooks d, and 5, are thrown back so that their arresting flanges 12, and 13, respectively en gage the front edge of the arresting blocks 10, and 11, respectively, and the fingers 6, and 7, on the metallic locking-hooks a, and 5, respectively engage one of the rounds 3, 3, as shown in Fig. 5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7.

hen the ladder is locked together as shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 2, and Fig. 3, the metallic connecting members A, and 0, hold the top ends of the two members G, and H, securely and rigidly in releasable contact. Fig. l, shows a detailed elevation of the metallic connecting member A, which is appropriate for the right hand side of the ladder and is provided with the upright inner flange 18, and the horizontal inner flange 20, between which two flanges the top end of the right stile F, of section H, is to be thrust while the left stile E, of section H, is to be thrust between similar grooves 19, and 21, on the inside of the metallic connecting member (I.

To set up the ladder the prop H, is inserted at its top end against the flanges 18, and 20, and 19, and 21, and under the anti spreading clevis 15. The anti-spreading clevis 15, is then dropped down upon the stiles E, and F, below the metallic lockinghooks 14, let, and the prop H, is spread out at the bottom from the bottom end of the section G. This draws the anti-spreading clevis 15, against the inner 'curve of the metallic locking-hooks 14:, 14, and'prevents the further spread of the sections Gr, and H, of the ladder.

To form the ladder into an extension ladder the bottom ends of the members H, and G, as described in the last paragraph, are

forced together as shown in Fig. 7 and released from interlocking against the'flanges 19, and 21, and 1S, and 20. The prop member H, is then slid upwardly to a position as shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 5, and the metallic locking-hooks'a, and 5, are forced into position pivotally on the pivot pins 8, and 9, until the fingers 6, and 7, integral with said locking-hooks, engage one of the rounds 3, 3, in section H, which force the fingers 6, and 7, downwardly which force the arresting flanges 12, and 13, backwardly against the arresting blocks 10, and 11, and thus locks the lower end of the prop member H, against the member Gr. The guide flanges 16, and 17, clamp the outer sides of the prop member .H, and prevent the two members from sliding upon each other laterally. This extension part of the ladder can be adjusted to lock on any of the lower rounds 3, 3, to vary the extension to different lengths. The top step 2, of section G, is rigidly secured to the top flanges of the metallic connecting members A, and G, by screws or bolts and tends to bind the top endsof the stiles B, and D, against the ends of the board steps 1, 1, in section G, while the diagonal metal brace 25, tends to bind together the lower ends of the horses B, and D, and being secured to the stiles B, and D, and also secured to the broad step 1, makes a double diagonal brace and tends to prevent the member G, of the ladder from careening sidewise. On the insides of the fingers 6, and 7, are the arresting flanges 22, 22, Fig. 1, and Fig. 2, adapted to rest against the edge of the stiles D, and B, to prevent the metallic locking-hooks 4, and 5, from falling too far forward.

In using two or more of these combination ladders and trestles as trestles they are locked together as shown in Fig. 3, with the lower running board 23, resting upon two of the rounds 3, 3, and on two of the broad steps 1, l, and the upper running board 24,

' resting upon the top of two of the broad toppedsteps 2, 2. In using this as a staging it is common to reverse the order of placing the trestles and placing the prop members H, H, near together andplacing the members G, Gr, in the positions occupied by H, H, in Fig. 3, so as to facilitate climbing 'upon a platform from the outside. In this form of staging four of the complete trestles are used each supporting a corner of the staging and the platform proper being laid upon two of the upper running boards.

I reserve the right to make the members G,- and H, longer or shorter or heavier or lighter than the proportions shown in the drawings as the demands may require in the various uses as ladders or as trestles or the combination of ladder and trestle. I also reserve the right to secure upon the top ends of the stiles of the member H, a pair of the metallic connecting members A, and C, so as to receive and connect two of the ladders after being extended as shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 6, to brace and support each other when used as an extension step ladder or as an extension trestle.

I am aware that prior to my invention, step ladders have been made with a prop frame secured by and non-removably hinged thereto at or near the top, and provided with a tie to prevent the two members from spreading. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly as my two members are not hinged; but

Vhat I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a Combination ladder and trestle of the class described, adapted to be used as a step ladder and a trestle, a step member and a ladderprop member detachably secured together at the top, metallic connecting anembers rigidly secured to the tops of the stiles of the step member and secured to the under side of the top step, projecting flanges i11- tegral with the inner surface sides of said metallic connecting members and adapted to receive the top ends of the two stiles of the prop member, which said stiles abut against the said flanges, an anti-spreading bail clevis having its ends pivoted on said step member and extending around said prop member, outwardly projecting hook pins on the outer edges of the stiles of said prop member and engaging said anti-spreading bail clevis to prevent the two members of the ladder from spreading, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

2. In a combination ladder and trestle of the class described, adapted to be used as a step ladder and as a trestle, a step member and a ladder prop member detachably secured together at their top ends, metallic connecting members rigidly secured to the tops of the stiles of the step member and forming extensions of said stiles and rigidly secured to the under side of the top step of said member, projecting flanges on the inner surface sides of said metallic connecting members and forming sockets for the top ends of the stiles of the step member and the stiles of the ladder prop member, which said stiles enter said sockets and abut against said flanges, an anti-spreading bail clevis having its ends pivoted on the said metallic connecting members and extending around said ladder prop member, outwardly projecting hook pins projecting from the outer edges of the stiles of said ladder prop member and engaging the upper side of said anti-spreading bail clevis to prevent the two members of the ladder from spreading, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

3. In a combination ladder and trestle of the class described adapted to be used as a step ladder, a trestle and as an extension ladder, a step ladder member and a ladder prop member of approximately the same length and width and adapted to fold together and means for detachably securing them together at their top ends, metallic locking hooks pivotally secured to the inner surfaces of the stiles of said step member, detention lugs integral with the swing edge of said locking hooks, detention blocks rigidly secured to the inner surfaces of the stiles of said step member and adapted to be engaged by said detention lugs, hook-fingers integral with the swing edge of said locking hooks and nearly opposite the said detention lugs, and engaging the rounds of the said ladder prop member when said ladder prop member is folded against the said step member and parallel with it and adapted to hold the two members against each other in a parallel position and to prevent them from slipping on each other longitudinally when used as an extension ladder and to prevent them from separating from each other when desired to hold them in a more compact po sition for storage or transportation, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

at. A combination ladder and trestle of the class described adapted to be used as a step ladder, an extension ladder and a trestle, and comprising a step member and a ladder prop member having rounds for steps, and having means for locking said members together parallel with the prop member under the step member for an extension ladder and in a manner to prevent them sliding on each other, in combination with two metallic extensions to the stiles of the step member, which extensions are rigidly secured to the top ends of said stiles and to the under side of the top step of the step member, project ing flanges on the inner surface sides of said metallic extensions forming sockets adapted to receive the top ends of the stiles of said prop member, downward projecting lugs on the lower edges of said metallic extensions adapted to engage the outer sides of the stiles of said prop member to prevent it slipping transversely on said step member, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

5. In a combination ladder and trestle of the class described adapted to be used as a step ladder, trestle and extension ladder, and comprising a step member and a ladder prop member adapted to be detachably se cured together at their top ends by the prop member entering a socket at the top of the step member and having an anti-spreading bail securing said members below said socket, and having means for securing said members together with the step member above the prop member so that they cannot slide on each other longitudinally, the combination of an extension of the stiles of the step me1n her by means of a metallic plate secured to the outer side of the top of each of said stiles and to the under side of the top step of the step member, projecting flanges on the inner side surface of each of said metallic plates forming sockets adapted to receive and hold the top ends of the stiles of the prop member securing them to the stiles of the step member, downward projecting lugs integral with the lower edge of each of said metallic plates and adapted to engage the outer surface of the stiles of the prop member to keep them from slipping sidewise from the stiles of the said step member when used as an extension ladder, substantially as set forth and for the purposes specified.

ARTHUR HILL.

lVitnesses STELLA M. RUBEItsoN, MARGARET M. PLATT.

tlopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

